NOTES AND QUERIES. 149 



having robbed the birds of their first clutch of eggs. It so happens 

 that many years ago (in 1887) I watched a Sparrow-Hawk's nest to 

 ascertain the period of incubation, and, referring to my notes, I see 

 the eggs took exactly five weeks to hatch. I remember being very 

 much surprised at the time at finding the period of incubation so 

 protracted, but some years ago I noticed in a paper or magazine 

 that another observer had timed the Sparrow-Hawk to take five 

 weeks to hatch its eggs. — E. W. H. Blagg (Cheadle, Staffordshire). 



Domestic Habits of the Sparrow-Hawk. — Whilst reading the very 

 interesting notes on the nesting habits of the Sparrow-Hawk by Mr. 

 Selous, it struck me that perhaps after all the boy {ante, p. 53) had 

 not taken the eggs from the nest about the middle of May, as 

 surmised by Mr. SeloUs. It is a popular belief with gamekeepers — 

 at least in this neighbourhood — that the period of incubation of this 

 species lasts six weeks, and some are very obstinate on this point ; 

 but I believe, however, that five weeks will be found much nearer the 

 incubatory period, even its maximum period. I quite agree with Mr. 

 Jourdain {ante, p. 113) that a Sparrow-Hawk commencing to set 

 about the middle of May could not bring off its young and commence 

 laying a second time much, if any, before the end of July. Whatever 

 may be the habits of the Sparrow-Hawk elsewhere, it can be safely 

 said that it is single-brooded here, and that the duty of incubation is 

 confined to the female ; also, that the male bird usually plucks 

 his bird-victims before he transfers them to the safe custody of his 

 mate. Much diversity exists, even among excellent ornithologists, as 

 to whether this species usually or always builds its own nest, and I 

 believe Professor Newton's statement that the Sparrow-Hawk always 

 builds its own nest is much too absolute. — E. P. Butteefield 

 (Wilsden, Bradford). 



Breeding of the Honey-Buzzard in England. — Besides the counties 

 mentioned by Mr. Aplin {ante, p. 113) there is fairly conclusive 

 evidence that the Honey-Buzzard has bred on one occasion in 

 West Staffordshire, close to the Shropshire boundary, in 1841 

 {cf. 'Zoologist' for 1856, p. 5096). The date of publication of Pen- 

 nant's ' British Zoology ' renders it impossible for him to have re- 

 ferred to this occurrence, but it is quite likely that the bird figured 

 by him was from the same district, and not from Shropshire. The 

 same volume of 'The Zoologist' contains (p. 5058) a record of a 

 nest " on the borders of Hampshire and Wiltshire " in 1852, and 

 references to other instances of breeding in the British Isles. The 

 latest record of nesting in England appears to be from Herefordshire 



